DISCLARMER: This is a blanket disclaimer, I will NOT be repeating it! So please pay attention! I don't own anything of 'Star Wars Rebels.' Not the names, places, characters, concept, nothing! They belong to the creators/writer/authors/ect which does not include me, sadly.

(Sort of) Extended summary/explanation: Ok readers! This is a requested work and as such it contains some minor and possibly major spoilers for my other work. Also, my work hours doubled over the past week so updates to Weight of Shadows will be a little late this week. Also, it give me great pleasure to announce that this is the first work (hopefully of many) to be edited by TrojanHelen101, my wonderful editor. (Hopefully, I fixed all the grammar problems she caught.) M'k, that's all, enjoy!

Italicized words = memories, visions, Force speak, voices heard over the com, and general emphasis.

Underlined words = alien/non 'Basic' language

Line breaks indicate changes in perspective, time lapses, scene changes, and the like.

The Discovery

Years later he would look back at this day and want to laugh. Not because it was funny, no, nothing about the day had been remotely funny. It was the sheer irony of how it all started that made him want to laugh. How many of his adventures, the pivotal moments in his life started the same way? With a question?

If he was honest all of them had started that way, with a question. And almost every time someone had said something along the lines of 'curiosity killed the cat.' He'd ignore them, ask the question, and then proceed to do whatever it took to get the answer. That day it seemed fate had decided it was time for him to be on the receiving end of that curiosity.

Truthfully, for a long time he'd hated them for their curiosity, for making him relive that horrible memory, for dragging all those painfully and ugly emotions out into the open. A small part of him still hated them for that, but a larger part of him was relieved they had done it. Relieved he didn't have to hide it anymore, that he could share it. "Closure" Hera had called it. Whatever it was, he was glad it had happened, it had allowed him to finally put the past behind him and let him get closer to the crew.

Yes, years later he would find the irony amusing, ever so slightly amusing. But he would always wonder who had asked the question that started it all. Blue eyes would stare out, gaze unfocused. He would heave a sigh and voice the same thought he always did.

"I bet it was Zeb."

"I can't believe we're doing this," Zeb muttered.

"It was your idea," Sabine whispered back. "And don't tell me you're not curious."

"Curious, yes, but when I asked if anyone knew what the kid did I didn't think we'd be spending all day finding out. And why are they so obsessed?" He asked, nodding his head toward Hera and Kanan, both of whom wore expressions of utmost seriousness.

"Yeah," Sabine agreed. "That is a little weird. Any idea what's got them so. . .?"

"Obsessed?" Zeb repeated and Sabine nodded. "Not a clue."

"Sh!" Hera hissed at them.

Zeb and Sabine exchanged looks.

"You'd think we were breaking into an Imperial facility," Sabine whispered lowly. "They must be really curious about what Ezra's doing."

"Wish I knew why," Zeb mumbled. "Kid's not that interesting."

Despite their grumblings, neither Zeb nor Sabine stopped following after Hera who trailed a little after Kanan as he tracked Ezra through the Force. So far they'd been walking for most of the morning, and the only thing they'd seen was the tall grass that made up Lothal's plains. Endless, boring, unchanging plains.

"There he is," Kanan muttered, coming to a stop at the top of hill. The others surged forward, eager to see what lay at the end of their journey.

"Where?" Sabine asked, scanning the valley below. "Is that his tower?"

Zeb looked where she was pointing and nodded. "No wonder the kid's always late, we're at least 30 klicks* from the Ghost."

"What's he doing all the way out here?" Sabine asked, heading in the direction of the tower.

"Sabine, he's over there," Zeb said, pointing in the direction Kanan was headed. Squinting, she could just make out a faint blue glow.

"Told you he was playing with his lightsaber," she smirked, nudging Zeb with her elbow.

Zeb bit down hard on his tongue to keep from saying the rather lewd comment that sprang to mind. Now wasn't the time, but he would definitely tease her later. . . When he was sure she wasn't carrying any 'miracles.'

"–and I can't wait to see their faces when I use the hidden feature I've installed," Ezra said, swinging his lightsaber through the air one last time before deactivating it and hanging it back on his belt.

He'd spent the last few hours going over everything that had happened during his time at the temple and every little detail of how and why he'd built his lightsaber the way he had.

He dropped down in front of a patch of blue flowers.

"I know you would have loved to add your own touches," he continued, unaware of the approaching audience. "You always had the best ideas when it came to unexpected surprises."

His shoulders slumped slightly.

"I'd give anything to hear them," he told the flowers sadly, gently brushing the petals of the nearest one.

"Ezra?"

He stiffened, heart somehow managing to race and stop at the same time, and slowly turned around.

A name carved into a rock, a small collection of planted flowers that quite obviously hadn't grown there naturally, and the way he spoke in a quiet, almost forced cheerfulness that did nothing to hide the undercurrent of pain. It didn't take them long to put the pieces together.

A grave. Ezra was visiting a grave. They had followed him to a grave.

Sabine was the first to recover.

"Who's–?"

"Don't say her name!"

Sabine jerked back in shock at the shout. The wind whistled as Ezra struggled to regain control of his emotions.

"What are you doing here?" His tone was soft and emotionless, but the slight quivering of hands and the set of his jaw showed how much their presence was affecting him. He shakily stood up. "Why are you here?"

Kanan grimaced, he might not be the most empathic of Jedi but Ezra's emotions were coming through loud and clear. Anger, fear, and panic were the dominating emotions, but there were strong undercurrents of pain, sadness, and betrayal. Kanan winced internally as the last one registered, but it was too late to back out now.

"We were worried about you." Hera answered seeing as Kanan had yet to speak.

"We were?" Zeb mouthed at Sabine.

She shrugged, just as confused as Zeb as to why Hera and Kanan would be worried about Ezra.

"Why?" Ezra asked defensively, crossing his arms and glancing around.

"The second presence was back," Kanan explained, stepping forward and ignoring the confused looks of those behind him. In front of him Ezra paled considerably.

"Back," he repeated weakly.

'She was telling the truth,' he thought. 'She never left.'

The revelation made his head spin and it felt like his heart was caught in a spinning tornado of conflicting emotions.

"Wh-what?" he asked distractedly.

"I've been feeling a second presence around you almost constantly. At first I didn't know what it was I was feeling," Kanan admitted. "It was always there, so I guess I assumed it was just part of who you were or that I was reading the Force wrong. But, it came and went which confused me. If it was part of you then it would be constant, so the fact that it could come and go. . ."

Kanan sighed and looked at Ezra. The boy's eyes were wide, he looked scared and sad, so very sad.

"I need to know that this. . . thing isn't going to hurt you – hurt us."

"Never!" Ezra shouted, angry that Kanan would even think such a thing. Blue eyes met firm, unyielding green and he swallowed. "–would never hurt anyone."

"You might know that, Ezra, but I don't."

There was a long silence and Kanan watched as Ezra looked away, staring at the plains with an expression of pained concentration. He hoped the boy would trust him. It was obvious that whatever this presence was it was very important to him, but that just made it more dangerous. For all he knew this presence could be the spirit of a Sith trying to sway him to the Dark Side, or worse. And if Ezra was as attached to it as he seemed. . .

Of course, given the grave in front of him that theory was becoming obsolete. But like he'd said Kanan didn't know, not for certain, and he wasn't about to risk the safety of his crew and Padawan. Especially not after he'd just gotten Ezra back from his inadvertent trip to the edge of the Dark Side. He was not about to let anything, not even a spirit, drag his apprentice back to that side. If that meant he had to hurt Ezra. . . Well, better hurting and safe here in the Light, than lost to the Dark.

Hera, Zeb, and Sabine watched the exchange. None of them knew what was going on exactly, but they could piece together enough to know that Kanan was worried something was threatening Ezra, and possibly the rest of them, and that Ezra was at least somewhat aware of what Kanan was talking about and didn't think it was a threat. They were curious and concerned, but they didn't dare interrupt to ask for clarification. The tense air between Master and Padawan had them feeling that they were standing on the edge of something. Something that could go very wrong or very right.

"Fine," Ezra whispered.

Kanan's shoulders relaxed and the tension in the air eased.

"It's her," Ezra turned to the stone spire. "I think you've been sensing. . . her."

"Who is she?" Kanan prodded.

"My–" Ezra swallowed. "She was my 'sister.'"

To say the crew was shocked would be an understatement. They were floored, but Ezra didn't give them anytime to absorb the news as he pulled out a small circular object. He looked at it for a minute, weighing it in his hand, before pressing a few hidden buttons. The sound of static filled the air.

"You want to know who she is? Fine." Ezra turned to face them. "This is what she told me, her story, as much of it as she ever told me anyway."

He pressed another button and chucked it at Kanan, who caught it. The others gathered around as the sound of voices drifted from the object.

Author's Notes:

* If I did the math right, roughly 18.5 some miles. The average person just strolling along takes about 18-20min to walk a mile which would mean the distance would take about 5.5 hours. Considering they're all in really good shape they probably walk a mile at the same pace most people speed walk (about 10min) which would mean they'd have been walking for about 3-4hrs. (My inner nerd came out again. T.T Sorry, but hey! Now ya know.)